Sunflowers and Vodka
by Einsam-Schatten
Summary: "Why am I so different?" "You're just unique." Muscovy, Soviet Union, Russia. A place that used to have beautiful art, theatre, and music...but could never catch a break.
1. Little boy

The snow fell lightly to the already frozen ground. White, knee-deep heaps formed for miles and miles to come. The sky was painted a depressing gray color and lacked visible clouds, for they were just as gray as the sky itself. The sun did not shine in this area. This is where I was born.

I woke up in a daze, to find myself in a more shallow pile of snow. The discomfort of the freezing, wet substance caused me to shudder and let out a slight groan. I stood up in a hurry to see the landscape ahead of me. Snow, trees, snow, trees, snow, trees.

"What am I doing here..?" I asked myself, my knees shaking beneath my thin clothing.

I tried to remember what happened before...before what? I couldn't remember any events before this past minute. Fortunately, however, I hadn't lost memory of how to speak, though my vocabulary seemed rather limited.

"Help!" I called with tears in my eyes. I fretted the thought of being alone in such a place.

In an attempt to find someone, I realized it'd be impossible to tread through the deep snow, at least, if I didn't want to kill myself, which I definitely did not. So instead, I just took refuge under a tree that was near enough to reach without sinking. Sitting down on one thick root, I held myself in my tiny, pudgy, and tucked my bare calves under my white baby dress, stretching out the elastic material. Suddenly, I found the tears being held on top of my bottom eyelids slipping down my cheeks. A small whimper escaped my lips which turned into a horrible sob. My face became flushed from both the weather condition, and the crying, and I looked like a mess. I curled up into a small ball, managing to balance on the rounded tree root. At this point, I was expecting death. Call me dramatic, for I had only been there for a few minutes, but I was small, and confused, and scared, and couldn't find a way out.

I lied there awake for what seemed like hours. At last, I decided this was pointless, and I had to make an attempt to find a person. I grasped a large fallen branch in my small, cold fingers and batted at the snow. It was no use. So I dug. But my fingers were unprotected, making for unbearable pain (note that again, I was a toddler).

After a few attempts of clearing a path, I finally sat back down in defeat. But this time, I wouldn't dare cry. Determination burned inside of me. I wanted to live real bad! My final thought on the matter was to sleep and hope the snow melts, just enough for him. But I was nïave. Miracles aren't real. At least, those kinds of miracles.

...  
(3rd-person POV)  
Meanwhile, a large animal walked through the snowy tundra with ease. It's hooves clung to the icy ground to maintain balance. It's long, shaggy fur made sure that warmth did not leave its body. The snout was large and cow like, and the eyes, also resembling the cows, were brown, or possibly hazel. It came to an abrupt stop when it saw a sleeping child. It seemed to be deciding what to do about this small, out-of-place human. As it came closer, something clicked on inside of it, telling it to do no harm, nor leave the young one. The creature lied down next to the little Russian boy, despite the discomfort of the lumpy tree roots, elevating certain parts of its body.

Evening becoming night, the large, hairy beast fell asleep with the boy. The two slept peacefully and warm, waiting for the sun to come back and wake them up.

...

...

(Back to Ivan's POV)

To my surprise, I woke up next to none other than...an ox? The creature was lying next to me, sound asleep, at what appeared to be later morning. I didn't object to this whole ox thing though. It's fur was so soft. Dirty, yes, but soft. And warm, too. I decided not to scoot away from it in order to maintain a necessary heat source. Even if it did (for some reason) suddenly developed intents on killing me, it's not like the cold and lack of essentials won't do that already. Besides, it seemed sweet enough. I was given exactly two seconds to close my eyes again and soak in the wonderful feeling the fur had given me, before I was forced to bolt into a sitting up position, due to a loud grunt the animal had made. I supposed it was just because it was waking, but it still scared the fuck out of me. I stared at it with wide eyes. It stared right back at me. What a calm animal, I thought.

_It must have an owner! I should ride it to see where it goes...if it'll let me...  
_  
The ox stood up, knees shaking as it forced it's heavy body up. I lightly tugged on one tuft of fur on it's side. As expected, it's attention was forwarded to me. I wrapped both of arms, as far as my small body could manage, around it's sides, reaching for its back. It was a wild assumption, because not all oxen and yaks are very smart, tame or not. But it seemed to get my message completely, and knelt down like a knight to its liege. I scrambled on top of him, attempting not to hurt it in any way. My left leg struggled to get over the beast's wide back, and fidgeted a little. But eventually, I made it on top of the animal, who began walking when I made a small "fu~" of satisfaction. The ox was not going all-too-fast, but I felt it was just a world of a lot more safer if I gently clung onto it's neck fur. I couldn't see anyway there could be anyone for miles to come. The land seemed to stretch forever, showing traces of mere trees, rocks, and snow piles. I sang a song quietly as the ox carried my small, malnourished body to wherever it hales from. In total, the entire trip took three hours, in which I sang or twirled my hair in my finger, just out of peer boredom. When the three hour trip was over, I saw myself in the middle of a small settlement, or tribe, or whatever this place was. The people sounded a little different than I, but were very similar. I had a feeling that I was no longer in the same country anymore. How bothersome, for I hadn't even known which country I was in the last place.

The ox and I, sadly, parted our separate ways. But I do hope dearly that I see it once again. Though, my main concern shouldn't be on an ox right now. Here are my problems:  
I don't speak their language.

I do not know where I am.

I have nowhere to go.

I am alone.

As a couple passed me, laughing it chatting, it made a retreat to a snow-eaten bush. I felt that I could not trust anyone, and if I did, I'd pay dearly. It was just me being a worried little boy, though. As they passed me, I sighed and crept out from behind the bush. My small hands brushed dead leaves off of my little gown. Then I took off. As I passed through the small, poor town, I noticed there was a stand that sold some fruits or vegetables (preserved by pickle method). My stomach was empty and growling at me noisily. I toddled over to the produce-seller. Tugging at his long coat, I spoke in my native language (a/n: italics means it's a Russian translation, bold and italics is Ukrainian).

"_Sir, if you would so nice...c-could I have some of your food_?"

The man cocked his head, with a confused expression on his face.

"**_What_**?" he spoke in a different language than me, so I could not understand, which freaked me out.

"_A-Ah, food_?" I pointed to the pickled vegetables.

"**_Ahhh_**!" he said in understanding.

He handed me a random vegetable that I did not recognize. Then he held his hand out. At the time, I didn't understand the whole payment thing, so I cocked my head in confusion. The man gave an exasperated groan. He pointed to himself, then to me and then the vegetable. Then he pointed to my face, and pointed the finger back at himself. This only confused me a bit more.

"_W-What?_" I asked, stressing out.

Then he yelled at me in his language, only scaring me. I screamed and ran away, bursting into turns. But he chased after me, in hot pursuit. My crying grew louder, for I had no idea why this man was chasing me.

"Don't hurt me!" I said in English, hoping he'd understand that better (as a country, I've always known English as a second language)

He didn't seem to understand, but kept chasing, shouting frightening sounding things. Suddenly, I felt myself being picked up from the back of my shirt. The person who was holding me was not the angry man, but an older woman. Her glare was horrifying but at least she was not yelling at me. The man caught up with us. The two exchanged words as I hung from the woman's grip, weeping silently to myself.

"Do not kill!" my English wasn't too good, but maybe the woman could understand?

She looked at me strangely. Then she set me down. When she did, she gave the angry person something, causing him to leave. She looked down at me and nodded.

"_T-Thank you_..!" I wished she could speak my language so she could know of how grateful I was.

She smiled, so I was assuming she knew what I was saying. Then she positioned me in a different direction and waved her hand, shooing me off. I ran off, rubbing the wetness from my face. I sat at a dead tree, in the light snow. I took a small nibble of the foreign vegetable and swallowed. It was so good, considering I hadn't eaten a lot lately.

Night settled in and I had finished the food. I could not savor it long enough to have it for a few days. But I at least could fall asleep with a stomach that was not quite that empty. I curled up in a bush that had a few surviving leaves on it. Quickly, due to the exhaustion of the day, I slipped out of consciousness, and was able to sleep soundly.

...

...

My mouth opened wide to allow myself to yawn. My eyes were watery and blurred from sleep, and took a bit to adjust, with the help of me, rubbing them with small knuckles. Blinking out the last bit of sleep, I let the setting sink in to my mind. When it finally hit me, I bolted upright with eyes, as wide as the moon. A small structure was housing me. There was only two other rooms, besides the one I was in. And also, I was lying on a comfortable pile of skins. That was nicer than a partially dead bush.

"H-Hello..?" I stuttered, pulling one of the skins up to my chin.

A lovely young girl came out of one of the rooms with a bright smile on her face. She was no older than eight years. Her hair was long, blond, and braided. Bright blue irises gleamed in her eyes, and a green and brown dress draped down her frail body.

"Oh, you are awake. Good morning," she chirped, walking up to me slowly. I flinched when she crouched down beside me, causing her to withdraw her movements.

"I'm sorry, I do not mean to scare you," she apologized.

I couldn't speak. My voice was lost down my throat. This girls hospitality took me aback, and it made me feel gracious, but she was still a stranger to me, and I was absolutely frightened. But she looked as if she were expecting me to reply, so I felt a bit embarrassed.

"T-Thank you..." I finally said sheepishly. Tugging at my sleeve, I looked down at my knees, which I had dug out from the animal skins.

Her smile widened a bit.

"No problem. Are you hungry, dear?" this girl spoke with much maturity. Was she alone?

"Uh...um...y-yes..." I squeaked, turning red. It felt bad, taking someone's food, but I was hungry.

In reply, she walked off into what I assumed was where she kept the meat and bread. As I suspected, she came with what looked like some sort of meat.

"I had prepared this for a long winter, but I think you really need it, so you can have it," she held out the meat to me. I felt myself drool a bit, but I felt I could not accept this. She had said it was for winter. From her storage. Cured by her.

"N-No, you need it..."

"I insist!"

"If I m-must...we will share?"

She thought for a second, then finally nodded at the comprise. But she ended up giving me the larger half, despite my protest.

"W-What is this?" I asked shyly.

"Reindeer, of course..?" she titled her head.

"O-Oh..."

A stare of surprise was laid on me.

"You know...I have not seen you around here before...and what were you doing out there alone?" the girl asked.

"Oh uh...I...um...I don't know..."

"Hm? Then...what's your name?"

"I d-don't know..."

She looked at him with surprise again. But her lips curved into a small smile again.

"Let's call you Ivan until further notice then, okay?" Ivan nodded quickly. He honestly didn't care what he was called, he just didn't want to be nameless.

"By the way, my name is Katyusha, nice to meet you!" she held out a small, yet strong hand to my even smaller, and weak hand. I didn't know how to respond and cocked my head. She just grinned and grabbed my hand, shaking it lightly. It was a weird display of friendliness, but I did not care.


	2. Muscovy

"_Katyusha...why am I so different..." I whimpered, tugging at her dull colored dress._

She patted my head in a comforting manner. "You're just unique." she smiled.

We were on the border of the new territory. The land I was born in.

"But I feel the connection between the animals and plants in this place..."

"You're good with nature!" her arms outstretched to gesture towards the trees that were covered in thick layers of snow and ice.

"I know a language no one else seems to know..." I muttered, tugging at my new coat sleeves. It was true. No one else but this girl could understand me. Everyone else spoke this other language that was so weird to me.

"Hm..."

"And I can't die no matter what!"

"What?"

...

...

She looked at me in disbelief. Her frost-bitten hands clasped together, pressing against her chest in a look of concern.

"Wait...how do you know you can't die?"

I looked down, feeling somewhat sheepish.

"Do you remember when you had to leave me for a week? To go to that thing that you refused to tell me about?" I asked in his broken Ukrainian (Katyusha had been successfully teaching me for the few months we've been together. Sweet of her, right?)

"Yes, I do..." she answered, looking down at the nervous looking boy.

"Um...well..."

...

...

_"Sister, do not leave me! I do not like being alone!" I cried, clinging to her like a latch to the side of a door. She gave me a soft, warm smile, and ruffled my beige hair affectionately. With a gentle hand, she wiped the tears off my face, and cupped my cheek, making me feel more content. It's easy to calm a child._

"I have to go. You may not understand, but there are responsibilities in this world that we have to commit to. When you're older, you'll have those, too. My time is now, though," she removed her hand, and turned around.

"Katyusha...you're so brave and mature! I want to be like you someday," I praised as I waved goodbye. She looked back just to smile once more, then made her way out the door. Holding back emotion, I raised my voice so she could hear my goodbyes. I said it in Ukrainian, and my language, so she'd know I meant it. As soon as she was out of my sight, I decided to take a walk to calm me down. I put on my heaviest coat, and my fuzzy ox-skin hat, and walked out the door.

My breath was visible. It looked like tiny clouds were coming out of my mouth every time I exhaled. I giggled as I tried to catch the little puffs of breath. I'd clap my hands together, and open them up to find nothing. Repeating that over and over again, I felt like I was having the time of my life. Well, it could've been better is Katyusha was there with me.

As I skipped through the close-knit village, I found myself tripping into a man. Stumbling over, I grabbed onto the man's coat bottom, to his disgust. As soon as I caught myself, I looked into his cold, blue eyes. My lavender colored eyes began to widen in fear. Quickly remembering the word that meant "sorry" in Ukrainian, I bowed and muttered the words.

"Vybačte..."

The strange man eyed me strangely. At the time, I did not know it, but the clothing that Katyusha dressed me in was considered to be fine, or expensive skin. I recoiled when he reached and grabbed my arm. I shrieked in fear as he began to pull me away from civilization. I knew that man seemed suspicious from the moment I laid eyes on him.

He threw me down in the snow and pressed his foot on top of me. I squirmed and yelled in protest as he began pressing harder on my chest. When he reached down to grab my coat, I made a horrible mistake. As soon as his dry, cracked hand reached down, close enough to me, I moved my neck to bite down on his hand, like a dog. With a yelp of pain, he quickly withdrew his hand. I had crunched down hard enough to draw blood. I spit out the crimson, metallic-flavored substance. It tasted awful. Before I had a chance to look up at him, I felt his foot slam down on the side of my face, squishing my cheeks in painfully. He held it down harder and harder by the second until I heard a sickening crack come from my jaw. The pain rushed in instantly, and tears fell down my bloody cheek. But I wasn't giving in that easily. I wanted to keep my coat, badly. It was a gift from Katyusha. He reached down for the collar of my coat again. I slapped it away. He growled in frustration, then pulled out something that was tucked in his old, worn down long-shirt. I couldn't see what it was, for my vision was blurred by tears. But I got a pretty good idea when he brought it down on my chest. It was big. It was sharp. Blood poured out from the wound. It stained my fancy clothes, and my skin. Everything turned black, and the last thing I saw was a big hand, reaching for my collar again.

...

...

The next day, I woke up on the ground, where I had been left. I felt absolutely frozen. The snow around me was soaked in my blood. I bit back a shriek or scream. My throat hurt terribly. Sitting up, I felt a pain in my chest. I let out a small cry and winced. Looking down, I saw I was only wearing my undergarments. On my long-shirt, I saw a big hole, torn in by the knife. Carefully, I tugged back the collar of it, and looked at my chest. A huge red gash, no longer bleeding, stretched across it, freaking the living hell out of me. Slowly, ever so slowly, I stood up, and limped away from the pile of snow and gore I was laying in.

"I'm alive..?" I whispered to myself, not able to believe it.

When that hostile stranger sent that knife into my chest, I was sure it was the end.

I was wrong.

Everyone in the village stared at me as I limped through the town in my long-shirt and long-underwear, clutching my chest as if I was having a heart attack. The woman I was familiar with rushed to my side, speaking in Ukrainian slowly so I could understand (but I'm just going to translate it).

"Dear, are you alright? Where's your clothes?! Where's your coat?!"

"Th-Thief..." I uttered weakly. Suddenly, I clutched her dress, looking up at her with eyes that were wider than the moon. Tears filled them as I recalled the painful memory. I was traumatized.

"Do not worry, I will get you a new coat, Ivan," she cooed sweetly, hauling my tiny toddler body into her arms. I put my fists to my lips. It feels comforting when I do that.

She took me to her small cabin. It would be considered cozy, if it wasn't for the harsh cold turning my skin blue. Still carrying me, she went to a rotting wooden crate and opened it up. There were a few old winter coats. One for her, her husband, and each of her children. I guess it was lucky for me, she lost one child a month ago.

She pulled out the deceased babe's coat and dressed me into it. That's when she finally set me down. I still shivered, as I was missing a few layers of clothing. With an apologetic look in her eye, she crouched down to face me.

"Sorry, that's the best I could do," she spoke in her native tongue. I nodded and gave her a grateful smile. She had already done something so sweet for me, I could not tell her about the wound.

...

...

When I was somewhat warmed up, she had to send me home. Her children were coming back from working in the smoke houses and with the animals, and she'd have her hands full. I waved as I skipped away, pretending I was not in pain. When she turned her back, I clutched my chest again.

The wound healed a lot over the weak Katyusha was gone. Not completely, but until it didn't hurt much.

...

...

I blinked up at Katyusha, who was thinking of a way to respond to this story.

"Katyusha?"

She looked down at me, hiding her shock. Then she grabbed my hand gently.

"I think I know what's going on."

...

...

That night, big sis tucked me in to my reindeer skin blanket, and kissed my forehead to say goodnight. As she walked out, I noticed a look of glee on her face. Silently, I followed her to our old wooden table. I stood behind her as she took some parchment and charcoal. She began to write.

_Dear Mr. Boss,_

I think I have found Muscovy. He is that little boy I told you about at the meeting. He claims or had been stabbed and woke up the next afternoon with a partially healed wound. I hope you are proud of me. Does this make Muscovy my territory now? He's such a sweet little boy. Can he be my little brother? Okay, well, reply if you're not dead.

Signed,  
Ukraine.

She turned around with a sigh of content. Then she saw me. I stared at her, cocking my head.

"Sissy, who is Muscovy?"


	3. Test

**This one was written pretty fast. School is around the corner, so I wanna get as much done as possible.  
**

"Ivan..." Katyusha rested a hand my tiny shoulder. "You are going to think this sounds crazy...but you personify a country. That place you found yourself in...that's your land. You are Muscovy."

I cocked my head dumbly, as I was too young to exactly understand. Big sister sounded really serious, but I still thought it was a joke. After a bit of silence, the corners of my mouth twitched up and I burst into laughter.

"Katyusha! I (hahaha!) didn't know you were (hahaha!) so funny!" I struggled to find my breath.

She just looked at me with a confused expression. When I realized that she was not making jokes, I gave her a weird face.

"Um...sissy?" I asked, waving my chubby toddler hand in front of her face. She blinked down at me.

"I am not kidding, Muscovy."

"K-Katyusha, do not call me that! My name is Ivan! N-Not Muscovy!" I stuttered, feeling just the slightest bit irritated.

She shook her head, and grabbed my hand in the comforting, gentle way she always did. Standing up, she lead me to my room.

"You need rest. Tomorrow is a big day," she said, acting as if nothing out of the norm just happened. With her strong arms, she picked me up, and dunked me in bed. Lifting up my blanket, she pulled it over my small body. My squirms of protests were ignored.

"Wait! I am not done talking about this!" I cried, throwing my covers off in fury.

I opened my mouth to speak again, as she began exiting the small room, but I felt no words come out. Suddenly, big sister was acting strange.

"Muscovy...that's crazy!" I finally screamed, hoping she heard it.

I couldn't understand what made me so angry about this. Though it did explain a lot of things, I refused to believe I was so different and strange from everyone else, that I even represented a country. It sounded far-fetched, too.

Clenching my hands into a fist, I sat there in bed, awake due to frustration. I began mumbling things to myself to release some anger.

"S...Stupid Katyusha...calling me different..."

"Muscovy. Pah, I bet she is making it up!"

"My name is Ivan! I am only Ivan!"

I ended up fuming myself to sleep.

...

...

"Get up, dear..." I heard a familiar, welcoming voice say. My eyes fluttered a bit as I adjusted to my surroundings and the light of the morning. I rubbed my eyes with little knuckles and yawned wide. Finally, I was able to see a smiling big sister, leaning over my bed. Normally, I magnificent grin would stretch across my face, but I quickly remembered that I was mad at her, and like any other toddler, I crossed my arms, stuck my nose in the air, and made a "Hmph!" noise. She chuckled. I glared at her, trying to tell her that this was no laughing matter.

"Come now, Muscovy, we're going to see someone," she grinned.

"My name is Ivan!" I growled. "And, I do not want to go!"

"Why not? You do not know where we are going."

"Y-Yeah, but I still do not want to!"

My pouting proved ineffective.

As my sister wrapped me up in warm clothing items, I looked up at her, and opened my mouth to ask a question.

"Where are we going, Katyusha?"

She smiled. "To see our bosses. Do not worry, it is very close."

"Oh. Okay, Katyusha," I was confused on what a "boss" was.

"Not Katyusha. Ukraine," she corrected strictly.

"Katyusha!" I argued. "Ukraine is not pretty at all!"

"Ukraine" ignored my last comment, and ushered me out the door. I pouted as she closed the door.

...

...

The trip was about an hour. It was torture. And I'm just going to say right now, it was not worth the troubles, but you'll see why in a bit.

We stopped in front of a building. It was the largest structure I had ever seen in my young life. I gaped at it in admiration of the architecture. Katyusha giggled at my reaction, and pulled me inside. The place was lined with windows to let in as much light as possible. On each window sat a candle, none lit, so I assumed it was for the night. We walked through the halls, our feet treading in the dirt*. I had never seen so many rooms in place before. This place looked rich beyond belief. Finally, we reached a room at the end of the hallway. Inside, two men stood in the corner of the room, discussing things that my young mind could not comprehend. We stepped in, and Katyusha greeted them in fast Ukrainian, so I couldn't make out their words. Finally, one the men, the one with the larger nose, stepped up to me. He spoke in my language, to my surprise (translated for the reader's convenience).

"So, you are the one they claim to be Muscovy?" he inquired.

I grunted. "That is what Katyusha says, but she is wrong!"

He raised and eyebrow and looked at my big sister. With an exasperated sigh, she answered my question for me.

"Yes, that is Muscovy."

He gave her a nod.

"Yes, the messenger sent the letter last night, telling me it was urgent. To be honest, I do not understand why you sent that poor kid to send a letter in the middle of the night."

Katyusha rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Ukraine, written proof is not enough," the second man said, revealing himself from the corner he was standing in. She cocked her head.

"Pardon?"

I beamed. "He means that I am not Muscovy, and we can go home!"

"No exactly," the man said emotionlessly.

"Ahem...sir...you're not..." Katyusha began.

"Yes. We have to run the test on him..."

Suddenly, her eyes went wide. I saw tears prick at her eyes as she plunged a fist into her boss's chest.

"No, you can't!"

He seemed to had not been phased by the eight year old's beatings. He stared at her with dark, unforgiving eyes.

"What's going on?" I whimpered.

Everyone in the room ignored me, to my aggravation.

"You can not do that to him, he is only a child!" she screamed, hitting the man over and over again.

"So are you, so you have no authority in my decisions," he replied.

She gave him a deadly scowl.

I looked between the three people in front of me curiously. Then, with a grubby hand, I tugged at the big-nosed man's sleeve. He looked down at me and ripped his arm away. As offended as I was, I chose to ignore that, and looked at him with curious eyes.

"What is the test, sir?" I asked, in my language.

I saw Katyusha bite her bottom lip when I asked.

"Katyusha?"

She looked down.

"We are going to have to prove your immortality," the one man explained simply.

"What is...im...mor...tality?"

...

...

"K-Katyusha, don't let th-them do this to me!" I cried, clinging to her legs and sobbing messily into her dress.

She rubbed soothing circles into my back as I cried louder.

We stood in a large, empty yard. Empty except for us, the men, and the colossal gallows in front of me. This memory scared me for life.

As the man who knows my language stepped up beside me, he held out his hand to lead me up the structure. When I didn't take it, he snatched my hand up harshly. Big sister cried out, and tried pulling me back. I struggled to get away from the man's grip, kicking, and screaming, but he was stronger than the both of us.

"Please! Do not do this! Just lift up his shirt, there is proof!" she screamed in a desperate attempt to free me from this torture.

"We need to see him in a fatal position ourselves. Then we'll know if we've found Muscovy."

"I am not Muscovy! I am Ivan!"

Scratching at his hands, I attempted to free myself. But he wouldn't let go.

"This is illegal!" Katyusha shouted angrily.

With nothing else to say, I just screamed and sobbed, like the useless creature I was...am. He lifted me up to the rope. Never had I found so little enjoyment in being picked up. My head and neck slid through the loop. He held me there as the other man tightened the rope. With vision, blurred by tears, I could still see that Katyusha was facing away, shaking as she wept. Now, I felt angry all over again.

"Katyusha! Why did you tell them I was Muscovy?!"

When the rope tightened so I could feel it loop around my entire neck, the big-nosed man dropped me so my legs dangled. The other man bound my arms and legs together. I could not escape. I squirmed and kicked as my air supply was cut off. Screaming and cry wasn't possible now. I could only make gagging sounds. But tears still streamed down my face. My wrists turned purple. My neck strained for oxygen. But everything became darker. Once everything was completely black, I knew I had suffocated.

...

...

Grunting, I woke up to a warm feeling. The same feeling as being in someone's arms. Ah, but my neck hurt or much to enjoy it. My eyes fluttered open. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. Finding the arms that were holding me were attached to Katyusha, I instantly leapt from her hold. I was back in that room I met the two creepy people in. They were there, too. I shrieked.

"Go away!" I was trembling so hard, it hurt.

"Congrats boy, you are the personification of Muscovy," the big-nosed man held out a hand, which I was quick to slap away as hard as I could.

"D-Do not go near me!"

The man rubbed his red hand and glared at me.

"You will not treat your boss that way, Muscovy."

"My name is Ivan!" I looked around frantically for an escape. When Katyusha moved away from the door slightly, I made no hesitation to run for it. They all yelled after me, chasing me, but I was quick on my feet, despite being weak and sore from dying twice.

I zipped out the building and ran into town. Everyone stared at me, but I did not care.

"Get back here, kid!" one of the men shouted.

"Ivan!" Katyusha cried.

Tears streamed down my face. Trying to lose them, I flew past a smaller crowd and behind a building. Peaking from behind, I saw them race passed the building. I took the opportunity to run out from behind and sprint elsewhere. When I finally took a break, I was all out of it. I sagged against a fence post, breathing heavily.

"I'm all alone..."


	4. Run

_Alone._

The sun was beginning to hide behind the horizon line, bringing an orange-ish pink hue into the sky. I stared up at it in awe as I peered from behind a smokehouse. I always liked enjoying the sunset. Too bad I could not stand there long enough to fully enjoy it. I looked around to see if the coast was clear. Silently, I crawled around the structure, getting my hands colder and dirtier than they were already. Slowly, I creaked the door open, displaying nothing but a pile of wood and a few hanging pieces of meat. My stomach growled and my mouth watered as the reindeer meat hung in front of my face. I reached a hand out to grab it but I withdraw when I recalled what Katyusha told me about stealing. Plus, it's not like I could've actually starved to death.

I curled up into a ball, like a kitten. I was shivering up something fierce, but at least I wasn't laying in snow. Piles of ash and salt were preferable, I guess. Tucking my uncovered hands into my coat, I rubbed them rapidly against my shirt. I craned my neck from the position I was in to look outside. The snow fall looked very pretty...

I could not smile though.

...

...

"Hey!" a gruff voice shouted, making me stir.

As my eyes blinked open, I saw a furious appearing man stand at the smokehouse doorway. That's when I remembered that I was not home. I quickly stood up and faced him.

"I-I am sorry!"

He showed gritted teeth and narrowed eyes. That's when I knew an apology was not going to cut it. My small face crumbled. The man raised a hand up, prepared to distribute a punishment. I squeezed my eyes shut, leaning forward and bracing myself for the burning feeling of skin on skin.

The hand swept through the air and slapped into my left cheek, forming a rough, reddened hand print. Rubbing the raw skin, I looked up at him, biting back tears. I had already cried plenty in the past forty-eight hours.

"How dare you rob me of my meat! You may be low on supply, but so am I, so do not be so selfish!" he roared, grabbing me by the collar, rubbing the cloth against the rope-burnt skin oh my neck. I winced in pain.

"I did not take your food!" I cried, trying wriggling out of his grip.

"Like I would believe that!" he growled, throwing me forward. "Stay off of my property, you hear me?!"

I had fallen face first into the snow when he tossed me forward. My strength was drained, so the only motivation I had to get back up was his stomping and shouting. Still holding back tears, I hauled myself up and took off quickly, not daring to look back.

"I hate Ukrainians!" I screamed, calling too much attention to me. But I didn't give a shit.

Making sharp turns past houses and passerby people, I ran like there was no tomorrow. Then the though hit me.

_I do not know where I am going._

I looked around.

_Um..._

"Ivan!" a familiar voice called.

My eyes widened and I drained of color. There was no way I was going to turn to look.

"Go away, Katyusha!" and like that, I was off once more. Warm tears streamed down my face. I gritted my teeth in anger and fear. Putting it simple, I felt like I was being hunted down. And the person in hot pursuit of me, my own fucking big sister.

Suddenly, I found myself screeching to a halt. I turned to face her. She too, stopped in her tracks, surprised at my sudden stopping. My lavender orbs flared with anger.

"Stop it!"

Her eyes were about as wide as mine were before. She put a fist to her chest, where her heart would be. I stomped one foot on the ground, shooting up bits of snow and dirt.

"Little brother..."

"No! Katyusha, I do not like this game! It is a mean game, if it even is a game!" I cried, gluing my arms to my sides.

"I keep getting hurt! That guy that killed me with the metal object! The men who made me choke on rope! And that guy who hit me! And you do not help me!" I snapped, trying to sound mature like Katyusha, but not completely succeeding, since I didn't know what some of those "'objects of torture" were called.

"Life...it is life, Ivan..." Katyusha took a step forward. I held my ground.

"Life hurts! I do not want you to hurt me anymore!"

She took another step.

And another.

And another.

Until she was peering down at me.

Our non-form-fitting clothes swayed gently in the wind through our moment of silence. I stared up at her with hard, fury-filled eyes. She stared down at me with eyes of compassion and sympathy. Her long, braided her struggled over her shoulders. My short, messy hair clung to my sweaty face.

No longer, could I had taken it. My mouth opened to say anything, but instead, only a small whimper escaped my lips. I found my lip to be quivering for the umpteenth time that week. My eyes began feeling heavy with tears, which no doubt, would spill without warning. No more tension could be felt on my body. Instead, weakening sorrow. Crumpling to my knees, I stared up at her soft facial expression. I ignored the horrible feeling of the snow burning my knees. I let the tears fall at last. My eyes were shiny with them.

"K-K...Katy..." I whimpered.

For a little bit, I just silently let tears run. Then, I lost it. My mouth opened wide and let out a serious of horrid cries. The emotion came out hard, slamming into me, crushing my heart on impact. Quickly kneeling to my height, Katyusha gave me comforting coos. I allowed her to wipe of each individual tear that slid down my face. But I would not dare let her do anything else. When she tried to wrap her arms around me, I quickly recoiled.

"Ivan..." she began with a sniff. "I am going to say to the most sincere thing that I've ever said before."

"What (sniff) does sincere (hic) mean (sniff)?" I asked, still sobbing uncontrollably.

"Do not worry about it...okay, so listen to me, alright?"

I did not answer, I just kept sobbing.

"I do not know where to begin on the apology. So just hear this. Ivan. Little brother. Muscovy. I can not be sorry enough for being such a bad, unsupportive sister and guardian. You are right, I did do nothing about it. And I deeply regret it..."

Still refusing to face her, my crying began to die down.

"But I am trying to be a better sister, Ivan, believe me. I do not want you to see me as a monster, and I do not want me to be the reason why you lose trust in humanity in the future."

Tears began to well up in her eyes, visibly. My cries had dissolved into simple hiccups and whimpers.

"So, I just wish that you could accept my apology. And come back. Please...little brother...forgive me!" her voice crack at the last part.

"Katyusha!" I cried, leaning over her lap to embrace my big sister. My sobbing resumed, and she wept quietly, too.

"I did not know what some of the things you said meant...it was all very grown up...but I think I know what you mean..." I said quietly, slightly muffled by my face being buried in her dress.

She chuckled.

...

Katyusha carried my limp, half-conscious body in her arms. Her gentle cradling and steady, calming heartbeat began to lull me into a welcoming slumber. The last thing I remembered from that point was when she ruffled up my messy, beige hair and whispered to me...

"I love you, little brother."

-  
*** Just sibling love, for anyone who had, for some reason, taken that a different way.**

**Um...what to say here...I dunno, R&R please?**


	5. Gusli

"Aw, Ivan, I'm going to miss you!" Katyusha threw her arms around me, and I didn't resist.

"I'm going to miss you, too, big sister. But I'll be back soon!" I promised, as soon as she released me of her embrace.

My Ukrainian sister wiped her eyes and smiled.

"Oh, you grow up so fast! Soon enough, you'll be a teenager, then an adult, then-" I interrupted her.

"Oh, you do like to exaggerate. I will not even be a preteen for another century, probably!"

She giggled.

"Yes, you are right."

We waved goodbye and I set out the door. A knapsack clung to my back, and a thin cotton shirt and pants clothed me. I stared ahead at the spring scenery and sighed happily. As much as I'd miss Ukraine, I was happy to finally see Muscovy in person. I wanted to see my people. I hadn't even been in my own nation since I was a baby.

I whistled a made-up tuned as my boots made crunching sounds on the twigs and pebbles bellow me. Excitement flowed through me as I daydreamed about what my country was like. Visions of light meadows full of flowers and buzzing insects. Healthy grass swaying in the wind. Clear lakes and rivers, inhabited by shining fish of many colors. That would be beautiful.

...

...

It took me seven days to reach the border. I'd eaten about half of my food supply, but at least it lightened the load. I peered ahead and smiled. The spring in Muscovy was similar to that of in Ukraine. But it was still nice. And I'm happy it wasn't dry and hot at a point to where crops could not grow. If anything, it was just a bit humid. I inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air. Then, I took a step. Then another. And another. And I was passing through my very own country.

It was not long before I came across a town. It was disappointingly tattered, but the people seemed happy enough. I walked through, whistling my tune, when I came across a man doing wood work. Stopping to look for a second, I watched from a careful distance as the knife skillful carved at the wood. He was focused on his work, absolutely dedicated to the project. As much as I wanted to ask what he was making, I felt it'd be rude to disrupt. I just proceeded to watch intently. Thinking he was unaware of my presence, I came a bit closer. Then he finally said something.

"How long are you going to stand there and watch, boy?"

I jumped a bit.

"S-Sorry, I was very interested in what you were doing..." I admitted sheepishly.

The man chuckled.

"Get over here, and I'll show you."

I eagerly skipped to his side. Then his hands went back to work.

"What is this you're making anyway?"

"It is a gusli."

I cocked my head.

"What is that?" I asked.

"You have never heard of one?"

"No, sorry, sir..."

He chuckled once more.

"Well, this here is an instrument. You pluck the strings, which are not attached at the moment. It makes some nice sounds."

"Ooh, can I try one?" I asked, bouncing a bit.

...

...

My fingers plucked clumsily at the strings. I bit my tongue as I struggled on it. The man carefully and patiently assisted me.

_Piin..._

I cringed at that strange sound. To be honest, I was not doing very well at first.

"Haha, that is alright, keep trying."

The harder I tried, the more I figured out how to play it. I am not saying I was getting good, but it was a few steps up, definitely.

I found myself, actually, practicing into the night.

"I think I am getting it!"

"Quick learner," he said patting my head. "Y'know, you should probably go home now. Your parents may be worried."

I thought for a millisecond, then nodded.

"R-Right, yes."

I turned on my heels to walk away before he stopped me.

"Hold on."

Handing me the gusli, he smiled.

"Wh..."

"Keep it. And make your own music."

...

...

I held the instrument firmly in my small arms. I looked at it fondly. Then I decided, I probably should've paid him. With a sigh, I took off into the night. It was rather breezy, and it felt nice the way it ruffled my hair. I smiled contently.

"Ah...I wonder if it is this nice all year round..." oh, if only I knew.

My legs, felt heavier and heavier as I grew more and more tired. I looked up at the sky, and assumed it was around midnight. A subconscious sigh escaped my lips. But I was determined not to sleep. My legs and eyes both ached in protest, though...

Staring at the sky, I longed for day to come. A brighter sky could've possibly helped me stay up longer. But I couldn't hold out for that long. I felt myself kneeling to the ground, them curling up in a tight ball. Laying down felt nice...

...

...

The next day, I woke up, startled by the trill of an annoying bird. Quickly, I check my knapsack. I sighed in relief when I found I had not been robbed. But I guess, that could been expected, given there were probably no people around for miles. Quickly, I stood, brushing off blades of grass and dry leaves. With a quick huff, I hauled the knapsack back over my back and stared ahead. The distance looked so far. My shoulders sagged. I had no more will to travel any further.

"I need one of those dog carriages..."

I was referring to the dog sleds. I'd seen it only once before, but I had already thought it was cool.

As I began to walk, something caught my eye. Something flashing past me. Deciding it was a figment of my imagination, I ignored it and kept walking. But the flash came again, and landed right next to me. An arrow had plunged itself into the ground, about a foot away from me. I looked around in panic. As another one zipped by, I heard a strange:

"Kesesese!"

I growled.

"Who is there?! This is not funny!"

The response was another arrow, nailing me in the arm. I screamed and began to run.

"S-Stop!" I cried as another one zipped past.

Finally, the assailant showed himself. Behind me, a strange white-haired boy with demonic red eyes ran at full force, wielding a bow, a pack of arrows, and a shield with a tacky eagle sign on it. I stopped right in my tracks.

"You're just a kid!"

He let out a strange cackle.

"I am more than a kid! I am THE AWESOME TEUTONIC KNIGHTS!"

I rolled my eyes.

"What do you want, "the awesome Teutonic Knights"? I am busy with stuff you would not understand," I huffed, forgetting the arrow, painfully sunken into the flesh on my arm.

"I think I perfectly understand. You see, you are a nation, I am a better nation. Now, I CONQUER YOU!" he laughed as he began pulling me by the arm.

"Wait, what? Where are you taking me?!"

"To my home in my awesome Kingdom, duh."

I broke away from his grasp and stomped indignantly.

"You are full of it! Leave me alone!" I began walking away. But then I stopped.

"Wait a second, you're a nation, too?"

He puffed out his chest proudly.

"And the most awesome one, at that!"

"Wow! How many other nations are there?"

"Like...I do not know...fifty trillion?" the freak exaggerated with a shrug.

My eyes widened. How I believed that, I don't know.

"So, um, yeah, you're now property of me. Come on!" he said, tugging at me again.

"Eh?"

"Can you not see that I am conquering you?"

I tilted my head to the side.

"Good...luck with that?" I said, in more of a question form, walking away.

"Hey!" he shouted, readying his bow.

Letting one fly, I saw it go straight past my shoulder. I looked at him in disbelief before running from another storm of arrows. As I retreated, I remember what my exact words were...

"You jerk!"

...

...

Finally, I had lost the annoying albino, and was drooping over a tree. Catching my breath, I looked up and furrowed my eyebrows.

"Katyusha never told me that nations hated each other..." 


	6. (Extra short) Jokes

**Hey, I decided I just wanted to start doing a few extra's I'm between, y'know, because I can. So, these extras are gonna be weird, and I don't think I'm gonna make any with a serious plot...so anyway, enjoy.**

-

_ Jokes_

"Hey! Russia, dude!" an overly excited American called out to a less-than-excited Russian.

"Ah...America?"

His random laughing gave him an instant headache. But the same smile was plastered on his face.

"Wanna hear a joke? I betcha you'll like it!"

Russia just blinked in an uninterested fashion as a reply.

"Here goes!" America laughed enthusiastically, as always, like I said the last time, randomly.

"Okay, go on."

America snickered a bit.

"So, in America, we walk on treadmills! But in Soviet Russia, treadmill walks on you!" then he started laughing uncontrollably.

"Wait...wha...I don't get it...why reverse in Soviet Russia...people walk on treadmills in Russia, too...and why Soviet...the Soviet Union is gone so..." Russia pondered on what this joke meant, mentally straining himself. Obviously, he had never heard the joke before.

"Well...it's because...Soviet Union was so...bad? Um, I don't know, it's just funny, man."

Russia grabbed his pipe from inside his coat. Yes, it was strangely, in his coat. Don't think too hard about it, just go with it.

"Ah, so you are making fun of me. Bad boy, do you need to be taught a lesson?" Russia hissed with a devilish smile on his face. Raising the pipe above his head, America quickly held his arm back.

"Hey, take a joke! For a guy who smiles a lot, you sure do lack a sense of humor!"

Russia froze.

"Yes I do! I do have a good sense of humor! It's...really good..!" Russia objected.

"Oh yeah, prove it?"

"Hm...well, okay. Here I go. So, a man came home to see his wife was mad. She told him 'I want a divorce'. Then, the man replied "Well, I wanted my fourth girlfriend back, but we don't always get what we want'!" Russia boomed excitedly, clapping his hands together as he waited for America's reaction.

He just stared at the Russian man.

"What the fuck? You're not very good at jokes, are you?" America finally said, to Russia's disappointment.

"What? There is nothing funnier than a couple having issues! Except for a drunk man..."

America just shook his head.

"Hmph...fine...how about this. How many hamburgers does it take to fill a man?"

"Um...doesn't it depend on the size of them?"

"No, just whether they're American or not!" Russia smirked.

"H-Hey! That was not only mean, but it wasn't funny either!"

With a submissive sigh, he looked down.

"Okay, last one. There once was a foolish man. The foolish man knew a tough man. The foolish man got on the tough man's nerves one day. A week later, they found his corpse with a faucet pipe sticking out of his head. Funny, yes?!"

"Holy shiiiit!"

The American ran off, with Russia in hot pursuit. Lesson learnt, don't diss Russia's jokes.

**-  
Random thing, huh? It was at first going to be a seperate one-shot, but I decided, since it was really short and about Russia, it could be some kind of an extra.**


	7. Sunflowers

"Stupid Teutonic Knights...more like...Teutonic...Butts...wow, that was really bad..." I muttered to himself, kicking a pebble.

I stared at the arrow sticking out of my arm. It was so painful. But being a nation, I was tough enough not to pass out. I glared down at it, wanting to just rip it out of me. Or hack off my arm, either one would've been fine. With a sigh, I stared ahead.  
_  
I wonder how many other nations will be after me..._

I watched the bloody slowly, like a tightened tap, drip out of the wound that was partially sealed with the arrow. The flesh around it was extremely red, rather than the light color that the rest of his skin was.

"This is going to get infected..." I muttered to myself, tapping the little stick in my arm lightly.

It shifted, making me wince as the arrow head tore a smidgen of my muscle, like paper.

"Ow ow ow! Katyu-!" I looked around and remembered that my big sister was back in Ukraine. With a sigh, I rubbed my arm and simply kept walking.

_Maybe if I find a woman, she'll help me...all women are smart and good with making people feel better, right?_ I thought. At the time, I didn't know many people, and all the women I knew were rather similar. Kind, strong, helpful, and beautiful.

...

...

Another town lied up ahead, looking just as...no, more ragged than the last. I grimaced at the horrible shape it was in. But I walked up to it anyway, hoping that someone could lend me a hand.

As I weakly walked through the village, people sent me strange looks, glares, and some even walked in their houses as I passed. This was not a friendly settlement town. I looked towards a woman with a child clinging to her waste. But she just turned her back. I huffed in annoyance, and looked at the flesh with the arrow in it. Reddening with infection. This needed medical attention. But no one was willing to offer it.

"Good thing I'm a nation..." I whispered to himself.

But it really hurt...

There was a woman staring at me a bit differently than everyone else. It wasn't a glare but it sure was an uncomfortable stare. But it was the only look that wasn't nasty. I hated to approach her as she'd probably expect it, given she's looking right at me. It'd feel awkward. But...the bugger fucking hurt. So I found myself running straight towards her.

Before I knew it, I was staring straight up at her with pained eyes. I was tempted to tug at her dress as I had done to Katyusha when I was hurt or upset, but I didn't want to scare her off. But I suppose I didn't even have to worry about that...

"And I suppose you've come asking me for help?" she grumbled.

I looked down and nodded.

"Why of all these people, me? You passed all the others but came up to me?" she said impatiently. A sheepish redness came to my cheeks. I don't know why I was embarrassed...she was seems to turn a pebble into a boulder, if you'd ask me now.

"They...they are frightening..." I whispered, only audible enough for her and my ears alone to hear.

"Well, I can be just as frightening."

At this point in my life, is when I learnt...people are more cruel than they've ever been kind. Selfishness. I got a taste of that. Or at least I think it was. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what selfishness is...I've never been to sure. Is it ignoring others' pleads because that's what they're content with or...not wanting something in the way of a bright future...ah, but anyway, I'm getting off topic. To sum this up, the woman didn't want to help me.

"Have you ever been shot..?" I asked darkly. "If you have, you'd understand..."

With that, I walked away. I had no intentions of sticking around to see a reaction, because that may very well be being slapped straight across the face, leaving a bright red mark on a swollen cheek. That's not fun.

...

...

Kicking over pebbles, I waited for that whole death cycle to happen again. Surely, with this thing painfully ripping at my skin, muscles, and veins, and starting an infection, I didn't have much longer. But I didn't want to die again. It hurts...it hurts because I don't go anywhere. I lie their in pain until I've healed enough to allow my heart to tick again. Everyone else goes to heaven or hell...I bet that doesn't hurt...or well, going to hell may be exceedingly painful but...and I'm getting off topic again.

I clutched my arm, beginning to rock back and forth as if I were in the middle of an anxiety attack. As I began to black out, I saw a tiny, doll-like hand reach over me.

...

...

"Boy! Wake up!" a childish voice pleaded. I felt my shoulders being shaken harshly. Blinking a few times, I tried to focus on the face. At first, I only saw blond hair and the outline of a dress.

"Katyusha?" I muttered, rubbing my eye.

"You are up! Who is Katyusha?" she exclaimed, then asked, getting over her excitement quickly.

This little girl was actually nothing like Katyusha, besides the darker blonde shade of hair color. The blue eyes couldn't be called a similarity, for they were darker, and didn't have the green tint to them. She was a small thing, her fists were only bigger than chicken eggs. The toddler didn't stand past Ivan's belly-button. Her green dress was an ugly shade. A large white bow stood out amongst all of the features. Her eyes shown with shyness and concern. I smiled faintly.

"Hello there..." I greeted, holding out a hand as I'd seem big sister do frequently. She stared at it. I withdrew.

"What is your name?" I decided to ask her. She looked at me with full blue eyes, shining with an excited glint, as if that question just rocked the kid's world.

"I am special, because I do not have a name!" she chirped, beaming proudly as if it was some sort of an accomplishment to be able to use the label "no-name". "What's your name, boy?"

_No name, huh..._

"Oh...my name is Ivan, nice to meet you."

She smiled.

"Ivan! I pulled your stick thing out for you!"

Quickly, my eyes darted to look at my arm, which had a slowly caving in wound, cleansed of blood, not of infection.

"A-Ahaha, thank you...with that arrow out, it should heal easier..." I said quietly, secretly freaking out over the chunk taken out of my arm, like someone took a bite out of it.

"Hey! Did you know, you were dead for five hours! That ticky thing in your chest wasn't ticking!" she said, sounding more carefree than she really should've been. I stared at her with wide eyes.

"Uh, I can explain..."

"But I do it all of the time!" she grinned.

...

...

"So...you found yourself alone, in a place far off. How'd you get here?" I asked the strange little girl.

"I had a quest!"

I nodded knowingly.

"Ah, I see, it must had been very long, yes?" I asked.

"Yes! I did that dying thing at least seventy times, too!" though it was an exaggeration, it must've meant more than once. I held sympathy for her. It must have had hurt...

"Wow, was it worth all of it?"

"Yeah, because I met you, Ivan!" she giggled, quickly hugging my waste, not quite being able to wrap her tiny arms all around, even though I had such a small waste.

I looked at her in surprise. She was either very lonely, very trusting, or both. The little girl released me with a grin. I reached down and petted her head, as my older sister had done to me.

"Oh oh hey! Do you want to see something? I found something very pretty!" she said as soon as I moved my hand.

Oh, what a straight forward little girl...

"Sure..!" I answered. She took my hand and led the way.

...

...

"See here? Isn't it so pretty?"

My eyes shone at the dazzling sight. I was at a loss for breath.

"So...beautiful..."

"Yes, it is!" the girl agreed, throwing her hands up.

A lovely field of flowers stood before me. Tall, with thick stems, and broad leaves. Petals...narrow, light, yellow. The large flower reminded me of what I loved most. The sun, and its welcoming warmth. I traced a finger over a nose length flower, marveling over its radiance.

"I...I love Muscovy!" I suddenly shouted.


	8. Chatterbox

"Are they not amazing?" the little girl asked rhetorically, swishing the bell of her dress left and right in some display of excitement I suppose.

I was speechless. Rubbing a soft petal in between my finger, I turned to give her a grateful smile. The only thing that could've made that moment better is if there wasn't a searing pain in my arm. With a huge, infected gash. That's just life, I guess.

Turning back to the field, I squealed in delight as I dashed into the mob of bright flowers. A tug at the back of my shirt told me that the little girl was trying to stay close. I reached back and took her hand, without even doing so much as averting my eyes. My other arm, my right, was outstretched, smacking, non-painfully of course, against the thick stems. The girl and I giggled in utter joy.

A rock came in contact with the toe of my boot, toppling me over, on the soft grass and blossoms.

_OOF!_

A small human landed on top of me. A small human who was seriously heavy with muscle, jeez. But I just chuckled and picked the giggling girl up and set her down next to me.

We stared ahead into the long pasture that was dotting with miniature suns. A light smile was slipped on my face.

"I wish this could be my home...I would live here with Katyusha...and we'd be very happy! And I would never see my boss because he would not know where I was!" I thought out loud.

The girl looked at me.

"Could I lived there, too?" she asked, tugging my sleeve, just as I had done many times or adults when I was physically about her age.

I ruffled her hair.

"Yes! Of course! You, me, Katyusha! One big happy family!"

"Who is this Katyusha?"

With a smile, I looked down at her.

"She is my big sister! She is really nice and strong! You would probably like her. A lot of people do..." I paused. "But..."

The little girl looked at me curiously.

"But what?"

Looking away, I found my face darkening.

"I am also still afraid of her...this one time, when I was about your age...she did something that I will never forget, and I am slowly trying to forgive..." I finished.

"Oh..."

Trying to brighten the mood, I added onto what I said.

"But, she's still a good person!"

The girl grinned.

...

...

Curled up next to me, a sleeping toddler slept lightly. Her slow breathes not audible enough to hear. Or well, maybe just some faint "hh"'s.

Going through my bag, I searched for some herbs that could help my wound. Nothing proved helpful.

"It'll heal..."

It already was healing considerable fast, for a gash of its size. As I examined it, I heard a small voice.

"I'm sorry..."

I looked down to see the little girl eyes staring up at me from her position on the ground.

"I thought pulling out the arrow would have helped..." I patted her head as she finished her apology. Then in a soft tone, I assured her it was alright, and she was very helpful. I know, my sister told me lying was bad, but she was a little girl. Little kids need to be protected by big kids.

"You are sure that it is fine?" she asked, wanting to be reassured one more time.

I just nodded.

She just smiled.

...

...

I held up the compass in front of me. We were totally lost.

"You do not know your way?" the little girl asked, standing on her tiptoes to peer at the compass. With a chuckle, I shook my head.

"I have not been here in years, it is difficult if you do not recognize a place, yes?"

She nodded, understanding.

"But I know the way! I've been here for years!"

Years?! She couldn't possibly be over three years old.

"Years?"

"Yeah! Like, twenty I think! I can not keep track!" she giggled, not understanding how shocking that was.

I stared at her with wide eyes. She cocked her head in confusion.

"What?"

Shaking my head, I looked away.

"Nothing, do not be worrying about it."

"Okay well...let me lead the way! Where are we going to?" she bounced excitedly.

"It's...somewhere in Ukraine...but I do not know the exact place that it is."

"Oh...that might be a problem...oh, we have to retrace your steps!"

I patted her head affectionately. But my mind was giving a different reaction.

_How do you suppose we do that? I do not know the direction I came from!_

She grinned proudly. I just let her have the moment.

...

...

As we navigated this stupidly oversized territory of mine with tremendous amounts of nothingness, I swear, the kid never stopped talking. She had already grown so close to me in such a small amount of time. Maybe it's because I'm her country leader, I thought. But she wasn't from my country. Her accent was obvious, and she said something about traveling.

"And there was this white-haired idiot! He was doing the shooting of the pointy sticks at me, but you know what I did?" she chirped, yanking at my sleeve for the umpteenth time. I was not that annoyed of her, but it is hard to concentrate on retracing your steps when a two-foot chatterbox is keeping up a one-sides, five-hour-long conversation with you.

"Eh, what'd you do?" I said, hiding my disinterest.

"I beat him up! I accidentally made his white hair a bit red, and I'm not sure how..."

"That's nice...wait...wha?"

She giggled.

"What is that red stuff called?" she asked, completely changing the subject. "People always seem to hurt when it comes out...and sometimes they stop breathing...hm..."

This is why you don't let a child live alone, they turn into oblivious killers.

"Oh...um...how many time have you seen them stop breathing?" I asked, I little shocked.

"Oh! Whenever the weird guy with the braid beats them! He is a bully! I do not like bullies..."

"..."

Kid had been through a lot and didn't even know.

"Well, I am sure they start breathing again soon!"

If only.

"People are the strong, yes?"

She nodded.

"Yes! A got hit in the stomach with a shiny, pointy thingy once! It hurt! I think I cried...oh, but it was okay, because I woke up after that weird sleep I had! Hey, did you know, when I woke up, the snow turned red with that stuff? How does that happen? Snow is white! But I have seen the yellow, too...do not eat it, it does not taste as good as it looks!" she chattered.

My head was spinning.

She had not been talking this much earlier. Why now?

"Eh, so tell me about that man with the braided hair you mentioned earlier," I did not want to talk about yellow snow. No thank you.

"Oh, okay! He was tall, and wore fluffy fur clothes! He also had a lot of big men with him, and they all head pointy sticks and launchers! I talked to him when he said he was "capturing me"...whatever that means...but he said his name was...Mungona or something! I can not remember!"

"Um...interesting..."

I stopped dead in my tracks. I was not going the right way.

"Hey, sorry to say, but I think we are lost!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, really?"

-  
**Don't worry, the story will get better.**


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